It’s likely all New Yorkers have heard stories about families who have suffered heartache after a cremation mix-up. But the good news is, there are ways to make sure you and your loved ones are cared for with complete respect and dignity. At Woodlawn Cemetery, we go above and beyond to earn – and maintain – your trust.
This is what our Cremation with Confidence™ Guarantee is all about.
Woodlawn Cemetery is the only cremation provider in the Bronx to offer the Cremation with Confidence™ Guarantee – an exclusive process that is unmatched in the industry. Our 10-step cremation process guarantees that your loved one is well cared for at all times and that the cremated remains returned to you are those of your loved one. This serves as an added layer of assurance, reflecting our outstanding service and ethical professional practices. Our system of checks and balances offers families peace of mind that their loved one never leaves the care of our trusted funeral professionals.
All cremations are conducted within our on-site crematory, following a 10-step process that provides a system of checks and balances:
- Your Loved One Never Leaves our Care
When your loved one is transported to Woodlawn’s crematory, our staff manages and supervises the entire process. Our privately-owned crematory is only used by the families we serve. Woodlawn’s certified and experienced staff members supervise every step of the process. Most importantly, your loved one never leaves our care — he or she will never be transferred into the care of a third-party at any point.
- Safeguarding Personal Identity
Our staff carefully logs each step of the process. To ensure additional security, a personal identification band is placed on your loved one at the moment he or she enters our care. To further safeguard your loved one’s identity, you or an authorizer of your choosing will sign a Witness of Removal form.
- Unique Tracking System
Upon arrival at our facility here at Woodlawn Cemetery, your loved one is added into our digital tracking system and is assigned an identification number, which is stamped into a stainless-steel identification tag. This number is used to track every phase of the cremation process.
- Checks and Balances System
One of our cremation professionals will review all of the cremation paperwork and permits to ensure that all of the authorizations and permits have been received and properly documented.
- Cremation Log Book
Personal identification is noted in our cremation log book. This log shows the name of the individual, the date and time of the cremation, their identification number, and the crematory operator’s name.
- Details During the Cremation
A stainless-steel identification band remains with them at all times. The crematory checklist, the identification card, and the stainless-steel identification tag are placed on the outside of the chamber during the cremation process.
- Following the Cremation
After the cremation process is completed, your loved one’s cremated remains and their stainless-steel identification tag are placed into an urn. The identification card and cremation certificate are transferred into our permanent files.
- Return of the Cremated Remains or Burial Placement
Our staff will notify the funeral home you are working with to schedule a time for the receipt of your loved one’s cremated remains or complete arrangements for final burial placement at Woodlawn Cemetery.
- Celebration of Life Service or Memorial Service
While some families choose to have memorial services at their local church or funeral home either before or after the cremation takes place, others want to have a Celebration of Life Service at Woodlawn’s Woolworth Chapel for convenience to the cemetery and crematory.
- Select a Memorial or Monument
Woodlawn offers above and below ground cremation burial placement in a variety of beautiful and serene settings.
While it’s not right for everyone, all across the country, more people than ever are selecting cremation, with cremation rates expected to reach nearly 79% by 2035. Families in New York are no exception, with many opting for cremation due to convenience, greater religious acceptance, matters of finance, and fewer adherences to family traditions.
When it comes to cremation, and the many other services we offer here at Woodlawn Cemetery, our primary goal is providing complete peace of mind for every family who walks through our doors. What’s more, our caring staff realizes there is an extra layer of trust needed when cremation is chosen instead of traditional burial. As anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one knows, it is overwhelming to make decision after decision while dealing with all kinds of emotions. There should never be added concerns about the funeral home and cremation provider.
At Woodlawn Cemetery, meeting the needs of families is at the center of everything we do. It all comes down to trust, and it’s our hope that your family will contact us with your end-of-life needs when the time comes.